Core Workflow
The canonical product flow: Build, Validate, Fix, Ship.
Everything in Protoboard follows one loop: Build, Validate, Fix, Ship. You will repeat this cycle many times as your design evolves, starting rough and tightening until every connection is green and your bill of materials is ready to order.
Build
Start by creating a new board and adding parts from the Parts Bin, the searchable catalog of ProtoPart definitions available in the left activity bar. You can also create blank parts and define them manually if your component is not in the library yet.
Once you have parts on the canvas, connect them by dragging harnesses between them. Each harness carries one or more interface links that pair compatible interfaces (like I2C, UART, SPI, USB, or power). Protoboard auto-detects matches, but you can also configure links manually in the Inspector.
At this stage, focus on getting the right parts placed and the intended connections roughed in. You do not need everything perfect; that is what the next step is for.
Validate
Run the Design Rule Check (DRC) by opening the Board Review panel (shield icon in the left activity bar). The DRC inspects every connection on your board and checks electrical, mechanical, and data compatibility across all domains.
Each interface link gets a status: CONFIGURED (green, all good), PARTIALLY_CONFIGURED (amber, needs attention), NOT_CONFIGURED (red, no functions mapped), or INCOMPATIBLE (red, cannot connect). The Board Review panel groups issues by severity. Errors block your design from shipping, while Warnings are things you should review but may choose to accept.
Read the DRC results from top to bottom. Errors first, then warnings. Each issue includes a description of what is wrong and, in many cases, a suggested fix.
Fix
Work through the issues flagged by the DRC. The most common fixes include:
Resource allocation: Assigning specific pins, ports, or channels on a part to the functions required by an interface link.
Adapters: Adding a bridge component when two parts are close to compatible but need voltage level shifting, protocol conversion, or physical adaptation.
Resource reallocation: Moving a function to a different resource when there is a conflict (e.g., two interfaces trying to use the same pin).
Part substitution: Swapping a part for a better-fit alternative when incompatibilities cannot be resolved.
After each fix, re-run the DRC to see your progress. The goal is to get every connection to CONFIGURED (green) with no remaining errors. Warnings are worth reviewing, but they will not block you from moving to the next phase.
Ship
Once your board is fully validated, you are ready to export. Open the BOM panel (cart icon in the left activity bar) to see every part in your design with cost estimates and supplier information. From there you can:
Export to CSV for import into procurement tools or spreadsheets
Export to PDF for documentation, review meetings, or archival
Share your board using the share button in the top bar so teammates can view and collaborate on the design
Take a screenshot of your canvas layout via the Project menu for presentations or reports
The BOM is your order-ready checklist. Combined with a green DRC, it means you can buy parts with confidence that they will work together as designed.
The loop in practice
Most real projects go through this cycle several times:
First pass: Rough out parts and connections, run DRC, fix the obvious issues.
Refinement: Swap parts for better fits, tighten resource allocations, resolve warnings.
Final check: Full DRC with all connections green, BOM reviewed, board shared with the team.
Each pass takes less time as your design stabilizes. The first cycle might take 30 minutes; the last might take 2.
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